


When the Dam Breaks

by BlueBelleBarrett



Series: The World of the Grove [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Getting Together, Head Boy James Potter, Head Girl Lily Evans Potter, Hogwarts Seventh Year, James Potter is a Good Friend, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), POV Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter Friendship, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29897274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBelleBarrett/pseuds/BlueBelleBarrett
Summary: Okay, so, maybe Lily Evans was wrong about James Potter being a total, insufferable ass, but just because they had started getting along doesn't mean she had a crush on him, thank you, Marlene.But maybe, also, there was a tension in Lily's chest, a sense of holding back, and as seventh year begins and the threat of graduation and the world at war beyond hurtles towards her...well, her perception of James had shifted once before. Maybe it would again.Maybe the dam would break.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: The World of the Grove [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181426
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> So, I absolutely love Jily, and writing them is one of my favourite things! So, here's Lily Evans struggling with the idea that whoops, maybe she does have feelings for him after all. 
> 
> If you've read Beauty of the Night Sky, this story takes place before that one, if that wasn't obvious. 
> 
> Anyways, here's Lily and James.

The Great Hall was abuzz with noise. The start-of-term feast was, in Lily’s opinion, the loudest part of the year, only rivalled by the end-of-year feast, but by the time that rolled around, she probably would’ve forgotten how loud it truly was. Or maybe, she thought as she wrinkled her nose, it was just the Gryffindor table.

“How was your summer, Lily?” Marlene asked, leaning across her to snatch a dinner roll.

“It was good, Marls, nothing too thrilling,” she replied, shrugging nonchalantly. 

“Oh really?” Marlene continued, slathering butter on her freshly acquired roll. “Because that’s not what I heard.” She raised her eyebrows and shoved the entire roll in her mouth. 

“Ooh, whatcha mean?” Dorcas asked, waggling her eyebrows at Lily while Marlene struggled to chew and swallow. 

“Well-” Marlene tried to say, but Mary cut her off.

“Ew, God, Marlene,” she scoffed, “Swallow before you speak, please.” 

Marlene rolled her eyes, but obeyed. When her mouth was finally clear, she turned on Lily. 

“My mum is friends with Euphemia Potter,” Marlene said, and Lily couldn’t help but blush. She had really, really hoped she could have kept her summer visit to Pottershall quiet, but it seemed she would have no such luck. She groaned, rolling her eyes towards the night-sky ceiling. 

“Yes, okay, I admit it. I...I went to visit James over the summer. Just once,” she huffed. 

“Oh, is it James now, not Potter?” Mary asked, setting down her cutlery. “How times have changed.” 

Dorcas laughed, elbowing Marlene with the grin of a wolf who had just scented fresh blood. “I knew you and Potter made peace last year after that whole thing with the Transfiguration project and all that alone time in the library, but I didn’t think it went that deep,” she chuckled, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. 

Marlene hummed and nodded sagely, shoveling another forkful of potato mash into her mouth. Lily couldn’t help but glance down the table to where James was sitting with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. They were laughing, ribbing each other, and casting smirks over the rest of the Hall. That probably didn’t bode well for a peaceful feast, but Lily would worry about that when she came to it. 

“Did you know James is the Head Boy?” Lily asked, pulling her eyes back to her dinner. 

“Yes, Lils,” Dorcas scoffed, “You’ve told us. Just more opportunity for you and Potter to spend time alone.” She arched her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. 

“Ugh, you’re the worst,” Lily moaned, trying to fight the blush that was working it’s way up to her hairline. But she couldn’t really disagree with Dorcas either, because...well, to be totally honest, she was looking forward to it. She glanced down at the Head Girl badge on her robes. 

“Evans!” Sirius yelled, waving his arms wildly over his head. 

“What?” she called back, trying to keep a straight face. But Sirius was gesturing wildly for her to come down the table and join them, and his dramatics were always hard to take seriously, despite his name. 

Lily dropped into the seat next to Remus, setting her plate down with a thud. “What are you four planning?” she asked. 

James turned to her with that mischievous smile she was becoming alarmingly fond of as of late. “You’ll see, oh Lily, most lovely of flowers.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t really ease my mind, you know,” she snorted. James shrugged. 

“It probably shouldn’t,” he admitted. “But my lips are sealed,” he said with a wink.

“Ew,” Sirius groaned, pulling a face, “Jamie flirting with an icky girl, yuck.”

Peter snorted. “Not everyone thinks girls are icky, Padfoot,” he drawled, pointing his fork at Sirius. “Just because your flings never work out doesn’t mean all girls are at fault. It could just be you.”

Sirius gasped, pressing an offended hand to his chest. Remus rolled his eyes skyward and sighed. “Here we go,” he muttered. 

“How could you, Wormy?” Sirius started, his tone overdramatic and high-pitched. “In all my life, I have never been so betrayed, so offended.” 

Sirius continued, but Lily tuned him out. She shook her head and glanced up at James; he was already looking back. He grinned when she made eye contact. 

“Ready for Head duties, Lily?” he asked, leaning his cheek on his palm. 

“I suppose,” she sighed, “I’m not looking forward to drawing up all those prefect rotations, that’s for sure.”

“It might take a while,” James mused, “But it shouldn’t be too hard; it’s not like we don’t have plenty of precedent to work with.”

“We can start tonight?” Lily asked, taking a bite of her roast. 

“Works for me.”

Whatever James would have said next was interrupted by a salvo of cracks, like a whole string of firecrackers going off. Across the Hall, sparks flew and students started laughing as their friends’ hair changed color, bright neons glowing under the candlelight. A golden ribbon unfurled, spelling out WELCOME BACK over the heads of the students. Lily laughed as Sirius’ hair turned bright pink and he gave a long suffering sigh. 

“Don’t drink the pumpkin juice,” James advised, taking a sip of his cola. Lily laughed; Sirius dropped his head onto the table.

“Why did,” she asked, waving her hand at Sirius’ hot pink curls. 

“Gotta throw off the suspicion,” James explained, flashing his dimples. “No one would ever believe that Pads would do that to himself.”

“You have a point,” Lily admitted. She glanced over the Hall. It was quite amusing, she had to admit. Her gaze landed on the Slytherin table. Sirius’ brother was sitting with his fifth year friends, calmly sipping from his goblet with his usual black hair, althought across from him, Rosier’s hair had gone electric blue. Lily’s gaze slid further up the table, and for a single moment, she met the dark gaze of Severus Snape. His hair was orange, and Lily couldn’t help but smile, feeling a little nasty about it, even as she looked up at the Head Table. Dumbledore, it seemed, was highly amused. 

Seventh year was as busy as Lily had worried it would be, and with her Head Girl duties, she had a lot on her plate. That didn’t seem to do anything to dissuade her brain from lingering on James Potter. 

James bloody Potter. He was so irritating. She’d known he was, of course, but this was...this was different. He’d toned down the pranking last year and the bullying had stopped entirely after their fifth year, and that was all well and good, that was excellent, but it really did not explain what was happening inside her head right now. James ruffled his hair, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was sitting across the common room, apparently absorbed in his Charms notes. 

Lily frowned. He had the sleeves of his school shirt rolled up, exposing the bronzed skin of his forearms, and the first two buttons were undone, hinting at the sharp definition of collarbones and a Quidditch-toned chest. His hair was shining in the light, reflecting from the dips in his wild curls. It was always so messy, but it looked soft. Lily wondered what it would be like to run her hands through it. Would it be as soft as it looked?

She shook her head, straightening up. These were not the sorts of thoughts she was supposed to be having about James Potter, of all people. Remus glanced up from his seat next to her. 

“You alright, Lily?” he asked mildly, his expression open. She sighed. 

“Yeah, fine, just...distracted, I guess.”

“Oh really? By what, I wonder?” Remus’ soft smile gained a teasing edge and Lily groaned. She pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. She really, really did not want to admit that she was distracted by the appeal of James Potter’s physical appearance, and she especially did not want to admit it to Remus. Remus might seem sweet and calm, but he was friends with Sirius Black for a reason. 

“Nothing,” Lily grumbled. She glanced over at James again. No, focus. She needed to focus. 

The halls were silent and dark at night. It was one of Lily’s favorite parts of being a prefect, if she was totally honest, the freedom to wander the castle. Of all the people she’d patrolled with, James Potter seemed to understand this best. He walked beside her quietly, passing through the bars of moonlight stretched out over the floor, lost in his own thoughts. Lily could understand that. There had been another article in the Daily Prophet about an attack by a suspected terrorist organization that morning, and even if no one would come out and say it, there was a pattern to who they were attacking. 

“We graduate this year,” Lily murmured, “And what will I be walking into?” 

Next to her, James tensed. Lily knew he was a pureblood, one of the respected old families. Hell, he lived in a manor house with an actual name and his parents were Lord and Lady Potter; that was definitely an old money pureblood thing. But Lily was a muggleborn, and she wasn’t stupid. It was obvious, at least to her, that these so-called Death Eaters were killing people like her. She was already at a disadvantage in the wider Wizarding world thanks to her muggle parentage, but now she was expected to face potential death too, just for her blood status?”

“You’re worried,” James said, breaking her out of her thoughts. “You’re probably right to be.”

“It’s all over the papers,” Lily snorted, “Anyone with half a brain can tell that being muggleborn puts you in danger of being killed by these arseholes.” 

“You’re not going to be killed,” James snapped, his usually laid-back expression clouding over. “I won’t let that happen.”

“You think you could stop them?” 

“Yes.” James was serious, more serious than she’d ever seen before. “I’m planning on going into Auror training after we graduate. I want it to be my job.”

“That fits,” Lily admitted, starting down the stairs towards the third floor. 

“You think so?” James asked, following her. “I would’ve thought...well, that you wouldn’t...wouldn’t think I was serious enough, honestly.”

“Oh, you’ve realized you’re not Sirius?” she joked, throwing a wry smile at him over her shoulder. He squinted at her for a minute before slapping his palm to his forehead.

“Oh Merlin,” he groaned, “That’s horrible, oh, I can’t.” He shook his head. “I guess I walked into that one.”

“You did,” Lily agreed. “But really, James, I think being an Auror would suit you. You’ve certainly got the grades for it, and everyone knows you’re quick with your wand.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “You’re very...you always stand up to people, when you believe they’re in the wrong.”

“I didn’t think you’d think that way. I thought you saw me as a...as a bully.”

“Honestly, I did. For a while. But after that incident by the lake, after our OWLs, you remember?” Lily paused for James to nod, and when he did, she continued. “You apologized to me. Afterwards, on the train. You promised to stop bullying people for what they were, although you specified that you’d still be standing up to people, of course.” Lily stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face him. The two steps between them increased the already obvious height difference. She had to tilt her head up to look at him. He looked….he looked handsome in the moonlight, staring down at her, a private kind of beautiful that felt a little too intimate for friends. “I didn’t believe you then,” she whispered, “But I do, now. You’ve changed.”

“For the better, I hope?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes,” she said, smiling up at him. He flashed his dimples at her, his hazel eyes bright under his wild mop of hair. Her heart fluttered in her chest and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. There was a pressure in her chest, swelling up, like water held behind a dam. “Right, well, um,” she stammered, “We’d better keep going.”

Sirius Black was alarmingly good at Arithmancy. He was good in other classes, too, of course, but the Arithmancy was the most terrifying. It was complicated and precise and reminded Lily horribly of her primary school maths classes, and furthermore, it could be used to create spells. Researching, learning new spells was one thing, but inventing your own was another matter entirely. The thought of Sirius Black unleashing some sort of ungodly invention on the unsuspecting students of Hogwarts lingered in Lily’s mind as she studied Sirius and his intense expression. He was hunched over a sheaf of parchment at a table in a quiet corner of the library, which was an odd enough sight that she paused on her way back to the Potions section. 

“What’ve you got there, Black?” she asked, wandering over.

“Now, now, Evans,” he tutted, setting down his quill, “That would be telling.” He grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Actually,” she decided, “I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know.” 

“You’ll find out soon, I can tell you that,” Sirius promised, mischief in his grey eyes. 

“Excellent,” Lily huffed, rolling her eyes. She was sure she would find out, along with the rest of the school, when some new prank went off. Sirius was brilliant with invention, but when added to Remus’ ability to appropriate spells he’d found, Peter’s skill with manipulating people, and James’ quick-thinking duelling style and ingenious strategies, well. They were alarming, she’d given them that. She shook her head and tried to pretend she wasn’t a little impressed. 

“Hey,” she said suddenly, “Do you mind if I join you?” She asked on an impulse, but Sirius didn’t seem to mind, and let her dump her books on the table next to him. 

Lily pulled out her Charms homework, setting out her ink and quill and her reference books. She tried to settle into her essay on the theory behind the Patronus Charm, but it kept slipping away from her. Her mind wandered to James Potter, as it so often did these days. He had been really sweet since they came back to Hogwarts, but...but something was bothering her. She pursed her lips. They’d been back for almost a month now, and James Potter had yet to ask her out. Not even once. He’d asked her out at least once every fortnight since they were thirteen, but now? Nothing. She frowned. It wasn’t like she wanted him to ask her out, or anything; it was just different. Right? She just wasn’t used to it. She wanted to know why.

“Hey, Black,” she piped up, brushing the end of her quill against her chin. “Why hasn’t James asked me out recently?” 

Sirius stared at her with those big silver eyes, tilting his head to the side like a curious dog. “Uh…” he started, “Do you want him to?”

“What? No,” Lily protested, “No way. It’s just different, that’s all. It’s weird.” She sat back and crossed her arms. 

“Uh huh. Sure.” Sirius was giving her a very odd look, his dark eyebrows raised incredulously. 

“I’m serious,” she said. 

“No,” Sirius grinned, “But I am.”

“Ugh, stop,” Lily groaned. “That joke is so old, jeez.” 

Sirius shrugged, but he didn’t bring it up again, and neither did Lily. She probably shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place, really, as it had definitely given Sirius the wrong idea. She could only hope that he wouldn’t say anything to James. 

“I heard you asked Sirius why James hadn’t asked you out this year,” Remus mentioned, casual as anything, while he and Lily browsed the chocolate selection at Honeydukes. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and Lily really did not need this right now. 

“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. 

“It is,” Remus agreed, giving her a sidelong look with those warm green-gold eyes. He wasn’t teasing her, not really, but there was still something playful in his expression. “I thought you didn’t like James.”

“I mean, I didn’t, for a while there.”

Remus snorted, but let her continue anyway.

“I actually think he’s quite nice, these days,” Lily said, bending over to examine the display of filled chocolates. “He’s deflated that massive head of his, at least somewhat. He’s almost tolerable.” She grinned up at Remus, who shook his head. 

“A high compliment, coming from Lily Evans,” he teased. She scoffed, picking out a bar of chocolate-covered honeycomb and straightening up. 

“I do sort of wonder, though,” she admitted. 

“About why he has let up in his pursuit?” Remus asked. Lily nodded. “I didn’t think you liked it,” he continued, “And more importantly, James didn’t think you liked it.” 

“I don’t,” Lily was quick to defend, “It’s just different, is all.” 

Remus hummed, but didn’t comment. He picked out three bars of solid milk chocolate for himself and sighed. 

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” he said finally. Lily sighed, but agreed. 

Lily and Remus made their way out onto the High Street of Hogsmeade. Marlene and Dorcas had made her promise to meet them in the Three Broomsticks, so she bade goodbye to Remus and made her way to the pub. Her friends were sitting at a table near the back, their heads bent together, Dorcas’ tight black curls almost tangled with Marlene’s pin-straight blonde hair. 

“Hey girls,” Lily said as she approached, and Dorcas and Marlene sprang apart so quickly that Marlene almost fell out of the booth. Lily raised an eyebrow; there was something going on there, even if neither of her friends would admit it. She took a seat opposite them. 

“Hey, Lily, how’re you?” Marlene coughed. Lily rolled her eyes. 

“Fine, thanks, got my chocolate supply stocked back up.” 

“Always important,” Dorcas laughed. “Wouldn’t want a Lily Evans sans chocolate, now would we? Your temper’s hot enough as it is, I’m afraid.” 

“Oh, hush,” Lily huffed, “I’m not that bad.”

Dorcas and Marlene wore matching looks of disbelief. Lily scoffed. The faithlessness of friends, honestly. 

James Potter threw open the door to the Three Broomsticks, followed by a boisterous Sirius Black and the slightly more calm Remus and Peter. They made a beeline to the bar, jostling each other as they ordered their drinks. James got extra cream on his butterbeer, and chocolate shavings, she noted. She felt the corners of her mouth quirk up unwillingly. He took a sip straight away, leaving a moustache of cream on his top lip. 

“Merlin,” Marlene laughed. “You, Lily Evans, have got it bad.” 

“Hmm?” Lily managed, pulling her gaze away from James. She glanced between her friends. “What? No, no.” She shook her head, shaking loose her sheets of red hair. She huffed out a breath, crossing her arms and pointedly staring at the ceiling. That feeling in her chest shifted, a river pushing at a dam that would not give. “I do not have a crush on James Potter.” 

  
  



	2. Chapter Two

Lily totally had a crush on James Potter. She was willing to admit this to herself, if only to herself. She should most likely be paying more attention to the Transfiguration lecture that McGonagall was giving, but James Potter was just so...distracting. He was chewing on the end of his quill, staring out of the window. Lily knew that, despite appearances, he was almost certainly listening. He was so good at Transfiguration, he had to be. She sighed, brushing her red hair over her shoulders. Trying to re-establish her focus, she looked down at her notes. 

But really, why did it have to be him? Sure, he was fit and intelligent, good at Quidditch, and the Heir to a prominent pureblood family; he was funny and quick-witted and had shown lately that he had a good heart. But was that really a reason to feel this way? She huffed. Her mother had always told her that the heart wanted what it wanted, without a thought for reason, but up until now, she’d never really believed it. Despite all her protestations and the years she’s spent scorning him, her heart had now decided that it wanted James Potter, and there was nothing she could do about that.

There was a prickling at the back of her neck, and she knew if turned around, she’d see Severus Snape watching her from his usual spot at the back of the classroom. She didn’t see much of him these days; he hadn’t dared to approach her since the beginning of sixth year. But she couldn’t avoid him in Double Transfiguration when Slytherin joined Gryffindor, and so every Wednesday, she pointedly ignored him and his staring. 

Mudblood, he’d called her. Mudblood. The same term all the pureblood snobs used, the same slur the Death Eaters were reported to spit at their victims before they killed them. Some things were unforgivable. She knew that he was angry with her for being friendly with James Potter, his childhood tormentor, and she could see his point. James had been horrible, for a long time, and had been especially horrible to Severus. And yeah, James Potter was a bully. But James Potter also tutored younger students without being required to, and stuck up for members of other Houses and mediated in squabbles. James Potter comforted crying students and spoke out against blood status discrimination and planned to use his future Lordship to actually guide public policy, not just as a status symbol. James Potter had ethics, a moral compass that pointed unfailingly towards the right thing to do. 

She hadn’t really understood James’ hatred for Dark magic until she’d gone to Pottershall that summer and met James’ uncle, Charlus. He was a high-ranking Auror, and the horror stories that he had, about the madness and destruction Dark magic could cause, it...well, it didn’t make sense totally, but she could see it. She could see it more. Lily set down her quill with a sigh and rubbed at her temple. Some things she could forgive; others she could not.

Sure, James could be arrogant. Sure, his moral code was inflexible and drove him to some strong reactions. But James Potter was a good man, and once she’d accepted that, it seemed inevitable that she would fall for him.

Saturday nights were meant for the girls. That’s what Marlene always said, at least, and it meant that at least once a month, Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, and Lily had an official ‘sleepover’. Up until the end of last year, Alice would come down and join them too, but even after she graduated, the dorm felt full enough with just the four of them. 

“Hey, watch it!” Lily cried, attempting to knock aside the pillow Marlene had thrown at her face. She huffed, smoothing a hand over her ponytail; there wasn’t too much she could do, as she didn’t want to crack her face mask. Mary had brought a whole package of them to school with her, picked up from a muggle department store in London. 

“Don’t be so sensitive,” Marlene scoffed, flicking through her copy of Witch’s Weekly. “Ooh, look at this, seven tips and tricks to catch the Keeper of your dreams.” She waggled her eyebrows at Dorcas, who smacked her thigh and giggled. “Although, if I remember, Potter’s a Chaser, isn’t he?” she asked Lily. Lily’s jaw dropped, and the mud mask cracked. 

“Don’t be stupid, Marlie,” Mary laughed, not looking up from where she was painting her toenails, “Lily doesn’t need any tips on how to attract Potter.”

Lily groaned and collapsed back on the bed. She unfolded her legs from underneath her and stared at the canopy above her head. “You can say that again,” she huffed. 

“I dunno,” Dorcas mused, “He hasn’t asked you out this year, has he?” 

“No,” Lily mumbled, throwing an arm over her face. “He hasn’t. Not even once.”

“Wow, Lily,” Marlene said, a fox-like grin on her face, “It almost sounds like you want him to be asking you out every other week.” 

Lily groaned louder, rolling off the bed with a thump and crawling over to the enchanted record player in the corner. She lifted the needle and flicked through the selection of records on Mary’s little shelf. There.  _ A Night at the Opera _ . Lily grinned as she set the record down and replaced the needle. The sweet, sweet strains of Queen began to fill the room, and she turned up the volume. 

“ _ I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair _

_ Spreading his hand on the multitude there _

_ A man who cried for a love gone stale _

_ And ice-cold hearts of charity bare” _

Lily sang alone at the top of her lungs. Mary laughed and joined in, setting down her nail polish and wiggling her toes in the air. Dorcas shot up and started dancing, pulling Marlene up to join her, the two of them swinging around the room, not paying much attention to the actual beat of the song, but laughing just the same. Lily could be worried about James Potter and all his nonsense tomorrow; tonight was for her girls.

Severus Snape was watching her from across the Great Hall, and Lily didn’t like it. It wasn’t uncommon, sure, but it made her uncomfortable, the consistent staring. And it wasn’t just him, either, not today. She supposed that was what she was really worried about; Severus was joined in his staring by Avery and Mulciber, two of her least favorite people. They were, in a word, creepy. 

Lily tried to shrug it off, to focus on her Darjeeling and her toast, but the unpleasant feeling lingered. 

“Good morning, Evans-divine,” James greeted, dropping onto the bench across from her. He blocked her view of the Slytherin table, at least. 

“Good morning to you too, James,” she muttered, taking a sip of her tea. “Where are the usual suspects?” 

“Oh, nowhere special,” he said, flashing his dimples at her. Lily laughed, because there was absolutely no way he was telling the truth, and because his bedhead was ridiculous. 

“Sure, James,” she said, shaking her head. 

“You don’t believe me?” he tried, widening his eyes and raising his brows like that could make him look innocent. It might have, if he wasn’t still wearing a shit-eating grin. That did tend to ruin any innocent image he might’ve been trying to cultivate. Lily gave him a skeptical squint over the rim of her cup. “Okay,” he laughed, “That’s probably fair, I admit.”

Lily hummed, but before she could continue, the flurry of wings announced the arrival of the morning post. An owl landed in front of James, a copy of the Daily Prophet tied to its leg. James accepted the paper, paid the owl, and unfurled the paper with a flourish. 

The headline of the Prophet announced another attack. Lily blinked. It wasn’t uncommon, these days, but it still gave her an uncomfortable twinge in her stomach, a twist of fear and disgust. A fire, set in Bristol, had killed three muggleborns the night before while she, Lily, had been studying and taking her Head rounds with James. 

“It’s getting worse,” James commented, glancing up from his paper. His hazel eyes were serious, for once, the corners of his mouth pulling down. 

“It is,” Lily sighed, “And there’s nothing I can do about it. I feel...helpless, I guess. I want to...to do something about it.”

“I agree,” James said, folding up the newspaper. “I can’t stand just watching this happen. There has to be something we can do, you know? I just...I can’t stand it.”

Lily nodded. She wasn’t very interested in her toast anymore. James sighed. 

“Kind of killed the mood, huh?” he said, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Lily smiled.

“A little, yeah,” she admitted. “Hey, by the way, have you had a chance to look at the revisions to the prefect duties? I know you know the Quidditch schedules better than I do, I just want them to be reasonable, you know?” 

James answered and before she knew it, Lily found herself absorbed in their conversation, forgetting about the uncomfortable stares directed at her from the Slytherin table. 

Lily had stayed later in the library then she had intended. It was skirting too close to curfew to be good, really; she had her reputation as Head Girl to maintain, after all, and being caught out after curfew was hardly beneficial. It was dark in the library; even Madam Pince had abandoned her usual post at the front desk. She gathered up her notes, trying to stuff them back into her bag in some semblance of order. She huffed, hurriedly screwing the lid back on her jar of ink and trying to pile her books up at the same time. 

“Shit,” she cursed as a book slipped off the table and thumped to the floor. She bent down to pick it up.

“Ladies shouldn’t curse, you know.” 

Lily had to press a hand over her mouth to stop her scream. She shot up, clutching the book, coming face-to-face with Mulciber and Avery. They were leering at her, wands in hand, looming over her, matching dark looks in their eyes. Lily swallowed. This was bad. 

“Can’t be a lady,” Avery snorted, “She’s a filthy mudblood.” Mulciber cackled like he’d said something funny. Her wand, Lily thought frantically, where had she put her wand? It wasn’t in her pocket, she would have felt it poking her. Shit, she was so stupid. Was it in her bag?

“Well, you know what’s happening to all the dirty blood lately, don’t you?” Mulciber drawled, raising his wand to point it at Lily. “It’s getting spilled.” 

“The Dark Lord will destroy the filth, he’s come to save us, to raised us up to the top where we belong,” Avery continued, a fanatical light in his dark eyes. Lily shivered. A Dark Lord? She hadn’t heard anything about an actual Dark Lord. Oh god. 

Avery had raised his own wand, getting ready to cast, and Lily tensed. She’d have to run for it; there was no way she could get to her wand in time. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Lily had never been so glad to hear James Potter’s voice in all her life. He was storming towards her down the center aisle of the library, wand in hand, his eyes ablaze with rage, and relief flooded through Lily like a tidal wave. 

James stepped between her and the two Slytherins, his wand held at the ready. 

“Potter,” Avery spat, “We were just leaving.” 

“You’d better,” James replied, his voice colder than ice, “It’s almost curfew.” 

Avery and Mulciber cast Lily one last malicious look, but they did scurry out of the library, cowed by James’ reputation for duelling and his status as a pureblood. When he was sure they’d gone, James turned to her. 

“Are you alright?” he murmured, checking her for injuries. 

“I’m fine,” she assured him, “Just a little freaked out. I’m glad you got here when you did.” 

“Me too,” James muttered. His eyes were so bright, staring at her with that fierce intensity he sometimes showed. 

“Thank you,” Lily replied, unable to look away from his face. There was that trembling pressure again, that sense of a dam being overwhelmed. “You saved me,” she admitted.

“I shouldn’t have had to,” James whispered, his jaw tense. “You need to be more careful, Lily.” 

“I know, I know-”

“No, you clearly don’t,” James snapped. “People like Avery and Mulciber, they’re out there killing muggleborns just for their parentage. You don’t even have your wand where you can reach it. You need to be more careful.”

Lily was at a loss for words. She had never, ever seen James upset with her; he’d never even been close. “I...I’m sorry,” she managed, unwelcome tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. James sighed. 

“I didn’t mean to snap,” he apologized, “I just...I can’t see you hurt. I really can’t. So, please try to be more careful?” 

Lily stared up at him, taking in the set of his jaw, the slope of his nose, his fierce hazel eyes, the untameable mop of black hair. She swallowed. 

“I’ll try,” she murmured. An impulse to touch him rose in her, and she didn’t fight it. She placed her hand on his bicep, carefully, tentatively, the irrational worry that something was changing between them if she did was not enough of a reason to stop her. He closed his eyes and exhaled. 

“Please,” he said, his voice edging something close to a plea. She nodded, pretending his tone didn’t make her heart stutter in her chest.

The idea of James Potter and his bright-eyed intensity in the library would not leave Lily alone. It was getting so bad that even Marlene had noticed she was distracted. 

“Hey, Lils, why the long face?” Marlene asked, slinging an arm around Lily’s shoulders, despite the fact that Marlene was even shorter than Lily herself was. They were on their way to dinner, meandering down the staircases from the Charms classroom. Dorcas trailed behind them, still absorbed in the essay she’d just been handed back. 

“Oh, nothing,” Lily muttered, trying to brush off her friend’s concern with a wave of her hand. But this was Marlene, so of course she would insist on pushing it.

“Sure, nothing, okay, I totally believe that,” Marlene continued, rolling her eyes. From behind them, Dorcas snorted. 

“Seriously, Marlie, it isn’t a big deal,” Lily tried. 

“It’s about Potter again, isn’t it?” Dorcas piped up, catching up to them and taking Marlene’s hand. 

“No,” Lily huffed, but neither of her friends looked particularly convinced. “Okay, maybe,” she admitted, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Maybe it is James’ fault.” 

Oh, who was she kidding? It wasn’t James’ fault, it was her own. She had finally realized that James Potter was everything she wanted in a man, just in time for him to stop asking her out. Typical. 

“Ooh, what’s he done now?” Marlene asked, her blue eyes alight with mischief and the promise of good gossip. 

“It’s what he hasn’t done,” Lily mumbled. 

“Stars, Lily Evans,” Marlene gasped, “Are you upset that James Potter hasn’t asked you out yet this year?” 

“Maybe?” 

Both Marlene and Dorcas were staring at her, eyebrows raised. Marlene’s mouth dropped open and Dorcas shook her head.

“I never thought we’d see the day,” she said, “Lily Evans admitting she actually does like James Potter after all.”

“Oh my stars,” Marlene screeched, and she probably would have jumped on Lily, too, if it hadn’t been for Dorcas restraining her. “You have to ask him out!”

“What, no!” Lily cried, “And shush!” She glanced around in fear, but there didn’t seem to be anyone paying attention to them. The last thing she needed was for this to get back to James before she’d worked it all out. 

“I’m not going to ask him out,” Lily grumbled, more quietly this time. 

‘Why not?” Marlene asked in a whisper-shriek. 

“Because he doesn’t really like me, does he? He likes the chase, that I never give in,” Lily said, but even to her own ears, that didn’t sound quite right. James really wasn’t that type.

“He’s really not that type,” Dorcas unknowingly echoed. Lily huffed. 

“Do it, do it, do it,” Marlene chanted, elbowing Lily. 

“Okay, fine,” Lily sighed, already exasperated by her blonde friend’s antics. “I’ll consider it.” 

Marlene looked like she wanted to say more, but Dorcas put a hand on top of her head, and she shut her mouth. 

They had made it to the Great Hall, but as they passed over the threshold, Lily felt a strange tug, a shift in the air around her, for just a moment, before it settled like nothing had ever been wrong. She frowned, glancing at Marlene and Dorcas, but they didn’t seem to have noticed anything. Lily shrugged; it was probably nothing. 

She joined the Gryffindor table, Marlene dragging them to sit with the boys. Lily sat across from James and he smiled at her. 

“Good Charms lesson today, wasn’t it?” he commented. Lily loved Charms, so of course she had to agree. 

“I thought Flitwick’s approach to the calculations behind longer lasting charms was interesting, but I’d really like to be able to look at it in an Arithmancy context. I think it could get very complicated, so I understand why he’d only mention it, but still.”

James nodded. “Yeah, Arithmancy makes everything complicated,” he laughed, “But I bet Sirius would know, and he’s pretty good at making things simple.”

“I’ll ask him, although-” Lily started, but she was cut off by a strange shivering sensation. Then, everything in the Hall began to float, including the students themselves. Lily gasped as she and the bench she was sitting on rose into the air. Across from her, James had pushed off from his own bench and was windmilling his arms frantically, trying to get higher. Lily could hear Sirius’ barking laughter from above her and she glanced up. Sirius and Remus were floating a few meters higher than she was; above them, Peter was making his way towards the ceiling with a neat breaststroke. All around the Hall, people were laughing and exclaiming as they hung, suspended, in mid-air.

“This is what Sirius was working on,” Lily realized, her voice colored with amazement despite her usual opinion of Sirius. James laughed, floating closer. 

“We’ve been planning this for ages,” he admitted with a conspiratorial wink, “Took us months to work out. What do you think?”

“It’s…it’s really cool, James,” Lily said. It was, to be fair. Floating around the Great Hall like it was some massive swimming pool was probably one of the coolest experiences of her life so far, and magically impressive, to boot. Even McGonagall was looking begrudgingly impressed, holding onto her hat as she hovered over the staff table.

“I’m glad you like it,” James murmured, and Lily’s gaze snapped back to him. He was smiling at her. Not grinning, but smiling, soft and sweet and a little too gentle for the middle of the Great Hall. The pressure in her chest was back, pushing against her restraint. James Potter, who lived in a manor and was doted on by his parents and was a loyal friend and so bloody persistent it had driven her mad. James who had saved her in the library and called out blood purists and showed first years how to find the Great Hall and smiled at her with that sort of expression on his face. She was staring, she knew she was. 

“What?” James asked, rubbing his chin, “Something on my face?” 

The spell they had used on the Great Hall was beginning to fade; Lily could feel gravity beginning to pull more insistently. James was looking at her, his hazel eyes curious, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and the floor was coming closer, slowly, gently. The pressure in Lily’s chest was, in a sudden instant, too much. The dam broke. As they sunk back towards the floor, she reached out and pulled James Potter closer to her and kissed him on the mouth, right there in the middle of the Great Hall where everyone could see. He inhaled, sharp and surprised, and for a split second, Lily was afraid he’d pull away. But he didn’t. Instead, he tilted his head to kiss her more thoroughly and wrapped his arms around her waist as they floated towards solid ground.

When their feet landed on firm stone, they broke apart. Lily stared up at him, at James Potter, with his wide eyes and his tousled hair and his glasses askew and his cheek bright pink. 

“Hey Potter,” she said, “Wanna go out sometime?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love James and Lily. That's it.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> -Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there's the first chapter down. Thoughts on James and Lily being friends? I feel like they kind of had to be, if Lily was ever going to say yes to him, but maybe you feel differently.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> -Blue


End file.
